New consumers welcomed

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New consumer representative Ajay Varshney - in left photo on right and in right photo reading

Eleven new consumer representatives were welcomed to the Westmead Redevelopment at a recent event.

The new community members were recruited through a communications campaign that has included posts to social media, stories in local newspapers and calls for help to staff at Westmead Hospital and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.

The new members span a number of cultural and language groups and varied ages. All members are living in Greater Western Sydney with many members being past or current patients, or carers in one of the two hospitals.

“I witnessed the extraordinary impact that a patient-centred palliative care strategy, informed by cultural and religious considerations, can have on a person's quality of life in the end stages of a terminal illness!,” said new recruit Amal Etri.

"My mother's experience at Westmead Hospital has transformed my views on the doctor-patient relationship in this area of medicine."

“The Westmead Redevelopment project (which I found out about through a work-related mailing list I'm subscribed to) seemed the perfect opportunity to provide feedback to help inform the hospital's future palliative care/end-of-life policy and operational frameworks - so that Mum's experience is not an isolated one, and all patients are empowered to be equal partners in decision-making processes concerning this and other aspects of their health care.”

Recent recruit, Ajay Varshney, said, “I had a major accident and surgery which has left me unable to work. I can’t tell you the hours I have spent as a patient at the hospital.”
Ajay joined the consumer representative group thanks to his daughter, and Westmead Hospital staff member, Dr Kavita Varshney.

“I was a Production Manager for a telecommunication company. On a day-to-day basis everyone encounters problems in any project and in life. At the end of the day anything that I can do to give back, I want to do. After my car accident, which caused a broken neck, the community and hospital gave me back my life. I think that it’s time I give something back to the community.”

“So far, I’ve been involved in workshops where we’ve seen artist’s impressions of the central acute services building, the Plaza, main entry and patient lounges. I’ve told the planners and architects what I think patients, carers and visitors should be able to experience and do - in and around, the new building,” said Ajay.

The workshop was also attended by three existing representatives, plus the Primary Health Network Consumer Manager and staff from Multicultural Health.

“I witnessed the extraordinary impact that a patient-centred palliative care strategy, informed by cultural and religious considerations, can have on a person's quality of life in the end stages of a terminal illness!
My mother's experience at Westmead Hospital has transformed my views on the doctor-patient relationship in this area of medicine."
Amal Etri, Westmead Redevelopment Consumer Representative

"On a day-to-day basis everyone encounters problems in any project and in life. At the end of the day anything that I can do to give back, I want to do. After my car accident, which caused a broken neck, the community and hospital gave me back my life. I think that it’s time I give something back to the community.”Ajay Varshney, Westmead Redevelopment Consumer Representative